American Idol kicked off its 15th and final season this week, with judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr and Keith Urban returning to their seats on the panel. The first episode showed us auditions from four cities: Denver, Atlanta, Little Rock and San Francisco. From these auditions, we counted 14 contestants we’re loving already – with such a high number of talent in one episode, it looks like this final season of American Idol could be one of it’s best!
So, we hear you asking; who exactly are these contestants? Well, here they are…
Jeneve Rose Mitchell
She may not have electricity, but she has talent. This off the grid cowgirl had the country look. For her audition, she accompanied herself on the cello as she sang The Band Perry’s “Chainsaw.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JViojlpKY
Sonika Vaid
Her family believed in the American Dream and they instilled that in her. After she performed her rendition of “When I Say I Do,” Harry Connick Jr. said she could win the competition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvX6No5gjes
Kerry Courtney
There’s been a lack of rockers on the show, but Courtney changed that. He’s got the look and voice of a rock singer. As he sang Death Cab for Cutie’s “Black Sun,” he had a bit of darkness in his voice, which Jennifer Lopez mentioned.
Lindita
She performed James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” where she included a lot of runs. After she finished, the judges complimented her powerful voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiFT0-DmGxc
Shelbie Z
This hairdresser showed fight and a strong voice in her audition, singing Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” After she finished, Harry Connick Jr. said he loved the performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLDACWW9UNI
Joshua Wicker
He put his own spin on Rihanna’s “Stay.” Keith Urban said it sounded like Wicker wrote the song. After the audition, he was able to bring his wife into the audition room, where she learned her husband was going to Hollywood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvhzO0hH0Zs
Lee Jean –
At age 15, he has a promising future. He sang Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire” with a great voice for a teenager. The judges praised his talent, but said he can improve his tone. We think he made his late brother proud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV0PmxQyHDs
Michelle Marie Lecza
She waited for this moment since she was four years old and didn’t let her opportunity go to waste. She sang LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue and showed off her pretty voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzTs_zKZcT4
Jordan Sassar
After his wife Alex didn’t nail her audition, he took a shot with Celion Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me.” He balanced lightness with his strong voice and got a golden ticket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RVSuDfCzRU
Josiah Siska –
Sometimes, hopefuls perform a song from their idol, and that’s what Siska did. He took on Johnny Cash’s “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” His low voice was something the judges were impressed with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E9RgXb_TQk
Dalton Rapattori
He may be a School of Rock vocal instructor, so it’s clear he can sing. What we didn’t know was he can play the guitar. He took on the hit Broadway song “Phantom of the Opera” with guitar accompaniment and made the song his own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Vlc3Cvj6o
Olivia Rox
She looks the part of a rock star with pink and blonde hair. While she brought a guitar, she opted not to use it for her audition. Instead, she showed her piano skills and rock star voice with Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cWoYUoo9B4
Brandyn Burnette
For his audition, he sang an original song, “Lost.” It can be tricky to perform an original song, but he did a great job. Ryan Seacrest judged this performance, while Connick was hiding at first. He did listen and return to the audition room to vote, which allowed Burnette to get four yeses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Eo0uQNscw
Tristan McIntosh
She took on “Why Baby Why” for her audition, accompanying herself on the piano. She reminded Lopez of Alicia Keys. After her audition, Connick read her a note from her mother, who was serving in the military, but surprised her daughter in the audition room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEyHT45l06U
Who are you rooting for this season on American Idol? Tweet us or leave a comment!